Joe Flacco Playfully Punks Cute Giants And Seahawks Fans
I can attest that some of the most ruthless trash talkers on the planet are young boys, as my 5- and 7-year-old boys keep me humble on the daily.
Sometimes you just have to dish it right back out to them.
That's exactly what quarterback Joe Flacco did Monday when he crashed a Howard County flag football camp and surprised 45 screaming fans after announcing an endorsement deal with M&T Bank. Not all the boys were Ravens fans, and they weren't shy about letting Flacco know in the ESPN video below.
One youngster told Flacco that he was a Giants fan, which was a mistake.
"We play the Giants this year. We're gonna get a chance to beat them for ya," Flacco replied. "Maybe you'll be on your couch crying."
Daaang, Joe.
Another Seahawks fan interjected, "No offense, but I personally think that Russell [Wilson] is going to crush you."
"We don't even play them this year," Flacco quickly retorted, "unless we see them in the Super Bowl. And then we're going to beat them. And I don't even really play against him anyway. I play against their defense."
The best part is the rest of the kids shouting out "EXACTLY!" or "Oooooh!" after Flacco makes his points. They end with a priceless "beat them" chant.
You're always going to get the authentic Joe Cool. It doesn't matter if he's on the field, at his home, with his friends, signing a $120 million deal or crashing a kids' football camp.
After messing with the youngsters, Flacco went on to talk for several more minutes, then threw passes and ran drills for nearly an hour. He also gave out passes to every kid to come to Ravens training camp practice.
"This is the latest example of why Flacco is the NFL's everyman quarterback," wrote ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "He has remained grounded even though his salary has soared.
"Monday's drop-in on the football camp was partly a marketing moment. … But, to Flacco's credit, it didn't feel like a corporate obligation. He made sure everyone caught a pass from him and told them to get back in line if they happened to drop one. He coached them on keeping their heads looking straight ahead when taking a handoff. He even went to an adjacent field to take pictures with lacrosse players who waited for him after the football camp."
Hensley recalled when Flacco celebrated his $120 million contract after winning Super Bowl XLVII by going to McDonald's. He stopped by Dunkin' Donuts after his second mega deal in March. He left a $150 tip on a $208 dinner bill before a playoff game in Pittsburgh in 2014.
Joe will always be Joe.
Oh, and Joe doesn't dab.
"Flacco wasn't going to attempt to be Cam Newton," wrote Hensley. "It's important to Flacco that he remains the same quarterback and person he's always been."
Terrell Suggs Shares His Experience As Guest Star On 'Ballers'
By now you may have seen Terrell Suggs show off his sweet acting chops while guest starring on HBO's 'Ballers.'
No?
Well, Garrett Downing has your back. He has a clip of Suggs' fake fight with The Rock on Sunday night's season premiere.
"'Ballers' is a show that I think is awesome because it's hard to truly capture the lifestyle of football players," Suggs says in the interview below. "They really keep it authentic, especially bringing in guys that are playing now."
In real life, Suggs admires Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who has starred in countless films after playing college football at Miami and rising to fame as a WWE wrestler. Suggs said Johnson was helpful in remembering lines and finding their marks for the cameras.
The fight scene was purely acting.
"I had to make it believable, like, 'Yo, me and him really got into it,'" Suggs said. "It would be something to see. It was pretty fun. It was an once-in-a-lifetime experience."
.@untouchablejay4 shares his experience as a guest star on #Ballers. Watch Ballers Sundays at 10PM on @HBO.https://t.co/3MyoNxDB9W — ballers (@BallersHBO) July 18, 2016
Ravens To Face Four-Time Pro Bowler Arian Foster
The Miami Dolphins announced a one-year deal reportedly worth $1.5 million with four-time Pro Bowler Arian Foster. The 29-year-old running back was cut by the Houston Texans in March after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in October.
Barring further injury, this means the Ravens will face Foster for the sixth time when they host the Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium Dec. 4.
When healthy, Foster is a handful. He only reached the 100-yard milestone against the Ravens one time in their five matchups, but he was close two other times when he broke off 96- and 98-yard games.
"I know that this league knows that when I'm on the field, I'm one of the most productive doing it," Foster said. "I still feel like I'm a Pro Bowl-caliber player, and I intend to show it."
The Ravens are also likely monitoring the running back situation in Buffalo, who will visit Baltimore for the season opener on Sept. 11.
After Karlos Williams was suspended four games, the Bills have targeted Reggie Bush to help fill the void, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. The Bills made an offer to Bush, but he is weighing his options and is in no rush to make a decision, per Rapoport.
Best- And Worst-Case Scenarios For Keenan Reynolds
Training camp will be huge in determining Keenan Reynolds' future with the Ravens, and CSNMidAtlantic.com's Clifton Brown outlined the best- and worst-case scenarios for the quarterback-turned-receiver.
Worst case: Reynolds can't make the transition and is cut from the team.
"It's a huge adjustment for Reynolds to convert from NCAA triple option quarterback to NFL receiver, and he doesn't have a whole lot of time to do it," wrote Brown. "The Ravens wide receiver group is deep, and as a former college quarterback, Reynolds' experience in route running and receiving lags well behind his competitors. Reynolds will probably be among five or six receivers battling for that final receiver roster spot. The Ravens could decide Reynolds was worth a sixth-round pick but not quite there in terms of [enough] progress [to make the team]."
If the Ravens wind up cutting Reynolds, their hope would be that he clears waivers so they can sign him to the practice squad. But there's a far better outcome if things were to go Reynolds' way.
Best case: Reynolds makes the team as the starting punt returner and contributes at receiver.
"In OTAs and minicamp, Reynolds showed good hands and instincts as a returner," Brown wrote. "Reynolds makes people miss and creates big plays when he gets the ball in space, which is how he racked up an NCAA record 88 touchdowns in his Navy career. Another factor in Reynolds favor: One of his top competitors figures to be Michael Campanaro, who once again was slowed by injuries this spring."
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